Five delicious ways to use that leftover Christmas ham

Nothing spells the end of Christmas day like leftover ham. Lots and lots of leftover ham… So what do you do with it? Sure, you can just pinch a bit off every time you walk past the fridge. But if you wanted to get more creative, here are some truly terrific recipes that will keep that leftover ham interesting for longer.

HAM AND EGG BREAKFAST CUPS

This is a super easy recipe that is perfect for breakfast but can be made (and eaten!) any time of the day.

Ingredients:

2 slices of ham for each ‘cup’ you want to make

1 egg per cup

Grated cheese – gruyère is perfect

Chopped chives (spring onions would work well too)

Vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees C

Grease muffin tin with oil

Place 2 slices of ham over each muffin mould, with the edges hanging over

Sprinkle the ham with some grated cheese

Crack an egg into each cup

Season with salt and pepper

Add some extra cheese on top

Bake for 15-20 mins or until egg whites are cooked but yolk is runny

Sprinkle with chives or spring onions

HAM AND SPINACH QUICHE

You can’t go wrong with quiche, especially as it’s the perfect place to throw in that leftover ham. Check out this amazing recipe from If You Give a Blonde A Kitchen.

You need to start by pre-baking the pie crust and then adding in some eggs, milk, spinach, cheese, sour cream, nutmeg… and of course, the ham! Bake for 30-35 mins.

HAM AND CHEESE SAVOURY POP TARTS

For something with such a ‘popping’ name, this recipe is ridiculously easy. It requires ham, cheese, puff pastry and a bit of egg wash. Seriously, that’s it! As soon as you make your pop tarts, you can throw them into the oven and cook until golden brown, or freeze them and bake another time.

HAM BALLS

Meatballs are a hit for all ages, so why not throw some of that leftover ham into the mix?

For the meatballs, what you’ll need is leftover ham, minced pork, eggs, milk and breadcrumbs. Combine the ingredients (with some help from a meat grinder or food processor), form into balls and then add the glaze (brown sugar, water, apple cider vinegar and ground mustard powder). Cook the meatballs in the oven and serve with rice or other staple of your choice.

HAM AND PEA BROTH WITH SUMMER VEGETABLES

This fantastic soup from Sammy & Bella is not your typical ham and pea concoction. Perfect for soothing those post-Christmas blues, this soup works equally well whether you are experiencing a cold or hot festive season. Better yet, it utilises that big chunk of ham bone for the stock.

First, you need to make the ham stock using the ham bone and skin plus parsley stalks. In another pot, cook off some carrot, celery and onion, then add the stock and lentils and simmer for about 20 minutes, after which you add the beans, peas and ham meat. Serve the soup with gremolata on top.